Karen Staley -- A Conversation with Karen

What should OWASP members expect from the foundation’s executive leadership, and how can a global nonprofit remain connected to its volunteer community? Karen Staley joins Chris and Robert during AppSec Europe to discuss her early experience as OWASP’s executive director. She explains how her nonprofit background prepared her for a passionate technical community, how members and chapter leaders interact with the foundation, and why conferences, membership, and diverse participation matter to OWASP’s future. The conversation also explores fundraising, strategic priorities, and the challenge of supporting local chapters while preserving an open organization. Karen closes with a call for greater community engagement and partnership.The Application Security Podcast is brought to you by Security Journey.About Security JourneySecurity Journey provides application security education for developers and everyone in the software development lifecycle.→ Learn more about Security JourneyConnect with Karen Staley and OWASP:→ OWASP FoundationMentioned in this episode:→ OWASP Foundation→ OWASP ChaptersFollow the Application Security Podcast:➜ Home➜ X➜ LinkedIn➜ YouTube➜ Instagram➜ FacebookChapters:00:00 A conversation with OWASP leadership01:08 Karen Staley’s nonprofit background02:16 Joining OWASP as executive director05:26 How members connect with the foundation08:52 Conferences, developers, and broader participation10:26 Membership and supporting local chapters12:23 Strategic priorities for OWASP15:27 Building stronger community engagement16:20 Closing thoughts